Toilet structure



Oct. 4, 1960 L. e. LOTTENBERG 4 2,954,566

TOILET STRUCTURE Filed March 19, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

LOUIS G. LOTTEN BE RG FIG.8. BY (32. (5%- ATTORNEY Oct. 4, 1960 L. cs. LOTTENBERG 2,954,566

TOILET STRUCTURE Filed March 19. 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. LOUIS G. LOTTENBER'G FIGJE. BY

ATTORNEY 6 Claims. (Cl. 4-254) This invention relates to the art of water closets or toilet structures and more particularly concerns a device for adjustably elevating a toilet seat at such an angle that a person seated thereon may be supported in a more natural, healthful, and effective position for performing body functions.

It is a principal object of the invention to provide a device adapted for insertion between the top of a toilet bowl and a seat pivotally secured thereto, so that the seat "can be disposed at an angle best assured to produce the most effective physiologic results.

'Itis a further object to provide a device for adjustably supporting a toilet seat at an angle to the top of a toilet bowl, and including means for adjustably supporting the feetof the user.

:It is a further object to provide atoilet seat device of the character described with means for mounting the device on a toilet bowl, the device being arranged to be quickly disposable on and removable from the bowl.

It is a further object to provide a device for elevating a seat of a toilet bowl at an angle to the top of the bowl,

.the device including an adjustable foot rest carried on supports pivotally secured to the body of the device.

It is a still further object to provide a toilet seat provided with adjustable means for elevating the seat at an angle to the horizontal top of a toilet bowl, the seat being provided with a cover which is pivotally attached to the seat and supported at a predetermined angle with respect to the seat when the cover is opened to serve as a seat back.

-It is another object to provide a seat having a cover of the character described with the cover beingshaped so "that it has an external substantially horizontal top surface when closed.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and the drawings. The scope of the invention Yis defined by the appended claims.

Toilets and water closets in general use have the top surfaces of the bowls disposed horizontally and the seats which are pivotally mounted thereon are likewise supported horizontally in normal use. It has heretofore been suggested to provide a support for a toilet seat secured in a fixed position to a toilet bowl or to a toilet seat to dispose the seat at a desired angle of slant with respect to the bowl. Such supports have failed to gain general use because of a number of inherent difficulties. The prior known seat supports failed to provide means for supporting the feet and legs of the user in a comfortable and proper position for most effective use of the seat. No provision was made for ready removal of the support from the seat and bowl when so desired. The permanent type seat support disposed the seat at an arbitrary selected angle which might be suitable for one user atone particular time but was entirely unsuitable for other users. No adequate provision was made for supporting the back of the user.

United. rates Patent 2,954,566 Patented Dot. 4, .1960

"ice

The present invention is directed at overcoming the difficulties and disadvantages of the prior known seat supports in a relatively simple, effective and economical manner.

According to the invention, there is provided a pair of plates formed as generally U-shaped hollow wedges. The plates are thickest at the bights and taper downwardly to the ends of the arms. The plates are pivotally secured together by hinges at the free ends of the arms. A manually controlled mechanism is disposed between the plates for separating the plates angularly to a. desired extent. An optimum range of angular separation of the plates of about ten to thirty degrees has been determined to produce best physiologic results. The adjusting mechanism has been so arranged as to limit separation of the outer sides of the plates to this optimum range of adjustment. A foot rest is supported on telescopic arms pivotally attached to the plates so that the foot rest can be adjusted for the most comfortable position of the user. Suitable projecting members are provided on the device for extending over the rim of the toilet bowl to removably retain the device thereon. The angular adjusting mechanism is so located that the user can operate it when seated thereon. This is important since the user may desire to lower the seat prior to deniounting. Prior known seat supports often disposed the user in such an awkward position that arising from the seat became a difficult operation.

I have determined that in order for a person to defecate most effectively and completely, the thighs should be supported at an angle to the horizontal ranging from about ten to about thirty degrees. At less than ten degrees no important salutary effect is accomplished. At more than thirty degrees, the legs are disposed in an awkward and uncomfortable position. A condition of strain is set up in lower bowel and the bowel is bent at such an angle from the vertical that defecation is performed only with difficulty. The particular angle of tilt which should be imparted to a toilet seat will depend on the size, condition of health, and personal preference of the user. The proper angle of tilt can only be obtained if the seat support is readily adjustable by the user. I have further determined that the back of the user must be supported at a proper angle with respect to his elevated thighs. This angle ranges from about eighty to hundred degrees depending on the physiology of the user. In general, when the thighs of the user are elevated at an angle of about twenty degrees and the back of the user is substantially fully supported at an angle of about ninety degrees, the most effective posture is obtained. Then the bowels can be cleared with substantially no strain. Maximum effect is given to gravitational force to aid in clearing the bowels. This important effect occurs because the large bowel is then in a substantially straight vertical position. Prior known seat elevating devices made no provision for proper support of the back of the user. Thus the user was forced into a position of strain to maintain the trunk upright. Most often the trunk was bent forwardly. This produced most undesirable physiologic effects. Kinking occurred in the large colon. In order to clear the bowels strain was placed upon the diaphragm and other internal muscalature. The time of defecation was unduly prolonged. Circulation was inhibited in the pelvic region, and the internal pressure often embarassed heart action and respiration.

Inthe present invention the user is disposed in a position which accommodates the physiologic needs of the human body more effectively than has hitherto been possible.

For "persons in normal good health, the present device results in fuller, more rapid and more satisfying evacuaing the invention.

tained during use of the device than has heretofore been possible. With the present device the user sits back re- :laxed. Circulation is unimpeded. Thus the tendency for hemorrhoids, thromboses, etc., to develop is minimized. Constipation conditions due to improper posture during defecation are relieved.

Fig. l is a side elevational view of the device embody- Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the device. Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the device with pants thereof an- I gularly separated. Fig. 5 is a plan sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on lines 5-5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is another plan sectional view taken on lines 66 of Fig.

4. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of the device taken on lines 77 of Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is a side elevational view of the device mounted for use with a toilet, seat, and cover. Fig. 9 is an elevational view of another form of the invention. Fig. 10 is a top plan view of the device of Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is an elevational view of another form of the device. Fig. 12 is a perspective view of a spacer member used in the device of Fig. 11.

In Figs. 18 there is shown a pair of generally U-shaped hollow wedges or plates 20, 21. The apical or bight front ends of the plates are wider or thicker than the rear free ends of the arms thereof. The plates are pivotally secured together by hinges 23 with their openings in general alignment. For economy in manufacture and V to facilitate assembly the plates are substantially identical in form. The plates may be metal castings, plastic moldings, or the like. Pivotally attached to the lower plate is a foot rest support. The support includes a pair of tubular arms 27 pivotally secured by pins 26 to plate 20. A pair of genenally V-shaped rods 22 having longer arms 28 and shorter arms 29 are arranged so that arms 28 are telescopically adjustable in tubes 27. Tubes 27 have slots 30 through which extend bolts 32 secured by wing nuts 31. By means of the bolts and wing nuts the arms 28 are telescopically adjustable in tubes 27. The arms 29 are inserted into upright tubes 33. These short tubes are provided with slots 35, wing nuts 36, and bolts 29. A rectangular foot rest 38 is pivotally secured to rods by brackets 39 further provided with bolts 40 and wing nuts 41. A cross bar 43 mechanically strengthens the foot rest assembly by joining the arms 28 near the apex.

At the fiat bottom of plate 20ris a U-shaped ridge 45 located at the inner rim of the curved opening between the arms of the plate. This ridge projects downwardly and serves as a means to anchor the device on the top horizontal rim of a toilet bowl 51 as shown in Fig. 8, while permitting the device to be readily removable from the bowl. 7

The angular adjusting mechanism for the plates 20, 21 is best shown in Figs. 47. The device is provided with a crank including a shaft 52 having a crank handle 53 for manual operation thereof. The shaft 52 extends transversely through an apical portion of plate 21 into the hollow interior thereof. The plate 21 has a pair of longitudinally extending ribs 55, 56 which define in part the central cavity 57. Shaft 52 is rotatably journa'led in ribs 55, 56 as well as in the outer wall of the plate. Mounted on shaft 52 in cavity 57 is a worm 58. A worm wheel rotatably journaled in theinner and outer walls 67 and 37 for telescopic adjustment of the tubes 33 and the arms 4 63 respectively of the plate at cavity 57. A double reel or spool 64 is mounted on shaft 60 to rotate therewith. Two flexible wire cables 61, 62 are wound on the spool in opposite directions so-that when the shaft 60 rotates the cables are wound up on the spool or unwound from the spool together. The cables extend from the spool through apertures in ribs 55, 65 and 56, 66 respectively. The cables terminate at eyelets 7 0. Each eyelet 70 pivotally attaches two links 71, 72. Links 71 are pivotailly attached by pintles 73 to plate 20. Links 72 are pivotally attached by pintles 75 to plate 21.

In operation of the device, it is disposed between the seat 46 and the bowl 51 of a water closet asbest shown in Fig. 8. The seat is pivotally attached to a bowl by a hinge 47. The back of the cover is supported by the tank 49 or other means at an obtuse angle to the top of the bowl. The angle A shown in Fig. 8 ranges from about eighty degrees with respect to seat 46 when the plates 20, 21 are fully opened to about one hundred degrees when the plates are closed together. Normally the plates 20, 21 together define an angle B of about ten degrees between the top of the bowl and the bottom of the seat. Each of the shaped plates being about a five degrees wedge. Ridge 45 serves to retain the device just within the rim of the bowl. It will be noted that the device may readily be placed on the bowl and removed therefrom when the seat is lifted. The apex of the foot rest support 22 rests on the floor F. By means of the several wing nut adjustments the foot rest can be spaced in a desired position for most comfortable seating of a. user of the device. The plates 20, 21 may be angularly adjusted by turning handle 53 to wind the cables 61, 62 up on spool 64. As the shaft 52 rotates it turns worm 58 and worm gear 59 to turn the spool. The hinged links 71, 72 are normally disposed angularly with respect to each other when the plates are closed so that when the cables are drawn in on to the spool the links open and plates 20, 21 separate angularly. The range of adjustment of the plates is about twenty degrees so that the seat 46 is lifted through an angular range of about ten to thirty or at most thirty-five degrees. If angle B is materially less than ten degrees the beneficial physiologic effects obtained by the present device are not obtainable. If the angle B is too great the user is disposed in an uncomfortable position with excess strain on the spine and internal musculature. In the optimum range of elevation of the seat the back of the person seated thereon is caused to rest on the seat cover 48. In conventional Water closets the cover is not usable as a back rest because the seat is horizontal and the cover is usually disposed at a back- Wardly inclined angle. If the user rests his back on the cover be is thrown off balance into an uncomfortable, awkward and impractical position. The present device makes important and effective use of this backward inclination of the cover so that it serves as a back rest for the user. The range of adjustment of angle A is about eighty to one hundred degrees with respect to the top of the seat 46 which is satisfactory to support the user in a comfortable position.

Usually the angle B of the device will be adjusted before the userseats himself on the seat 46. If desired the user can sit on the seat with the plates 20, 21 in a closed position and turn the handle to separate the plates. There will be sufficient mechanical advantage in the worm and worm gear mechanism to permit this adjustment in spite of the weight of the user on the seat. It will be faster and more convenient however if the plates 20, 21

are adjusted at the desired angle B before the user sits on the seat. As another method the plates can be fully opened. Then the user can sit on the seat and turn handle 53 to lower plate 21. The weight of the user will assist in making this adjustment. The friction between the worm and worm gear will be sufficient to retain the selected angle between plates 20-, 21 while the user is seated thereon. Under certain conditions, particularlyif the plates are set at the maximum angle B, the user may desire to lower the seat before demounting therefrom.

"This may be done easily byturning handle 53.

When the plates 20,, 21am closed spool 64 projects somewhatinto cavity 57' of plate 20. This cavity underlies the cavity 57 in plate 21 and corresponds therewith. Ribs 55, 56, 65' and 66 in plate20 shown in Fig. 6 correspond with and abut ribs 55, "56, 65, 66 respectively when the plates are closed. Then the links 71, 72 are disposed in a minimum angular position with-the cables 61, 62 extending .therebetween and unreeled from the spool 64 to a maximum extent.

In Figs. 9:and.:10.are shown a form of :the invention in which the .upper portion of plate 21' is formed with a generally -oval .curved top 21 so that it can serve as a seat and seat 46 may be dispensed with. Plate 21' has a generally-oval annular wedge shape. It is pivotally attached to .the similarly shaped annular oval wedge shaped lower plate 20' by hinges 23 in the same manner as shown in Figs. 1-8. Ridge 45 removably retains the device on the bowl 51. Cover 48 is replaced by a wedge shaped oval cover 80. This cover is attached by hinges 81 to plate 21'. A pair of links 83, 84 are disposed at each of the sides of the cover 80. Links 83 are pivotally secured to the cover by pins 85. The links are pivotally secured together by pins 86, and links 84 are pivotally secured to plate 21' by pins 87. In this arrangement, plates 20', 21' can be angularly adjusted by means of handle 53 in the same manner as plates 20, 21. The cover 80 is so arranged that as seat 21 rises with the cover open to serve as a seat back, a constant angle A of about ninety degrees is maintained between the side 88 of the cover and the top surface 21" of the seat. When the seat 21' is fully lowered or substantially fully lowered and the cover 80 is closed, the top side 89 of the cover assumes a horizontal position as shown in dotted lines so that the device can be used a a bench. The device of Figs. 9 and 10 thus constitutes an angularly elevated toilet seat readily removable from the toilet bowl and provided with its own seat back. The foot rest assembly which is pivotally attached to the plate 20' is adjustable in the same manner as for the device of Figs. 1-8.

If desired the manually operated crank 52 and associated mechanism can be replaced by an electrically driven motor to elevate the seat. The ridge 45 can be formed as a plurality of depending elements flexible or inflexible for engaging the rim of the bowl.

Once an optimum elevation angle B for seat 46 has been determined, it is possible to provide fixed means to elevate the seat at this angle. One way this can be done is to replace the angularly disposed plates 20, 21 by a single solid or hollow generally U-shaped wedge or an equivalent seat elevating member. The foot rest support 22 will be pivotally attached to this member and foot rest 38 will be adjustably elevatable and spaceable from the member. This adjustment of the foot rest provides a means for elevating the thighs of the user of the device in addition to the elevating function performed by the angularly inclined seat. It is of particular importance to note that in order for the invention to be physiologically effective the angle of inclination of the thighs of the user must be downward from knees to hips. To accomplish this the seat 46 is inclined with its front portion disposed in an upper plane and its rear portion disposed in a lower plane with respect to the top of the bowl 51.

In Fig. 11 is shown another form of the invention in which the wedge plates 20, 21 are pivotally secured together by hinges 23 in the same manner used for the form of the device shown in Figs. 1-8. Instead of using a manually operable mechanism to raise and lower the plate 21 there is provided instead a generally 'U-shaped wedge block 42 as best shown in Fig. 12. This block may be provided with top and bottom layers 42', 4-4 respectively of leather, rubber or other material having a roughened surface. When the block 42 is disposed between the plates 20, 21 it serves as a spacer member to elevate plate 21 at a desired angle. If desired, the user may be provided with a plurality of such spacers 42 having difierent wedge angles B so that the bight of the spacer blocks have different thicknesses. Such a set of spacers may range from 5 to 20 in 5 increments. The user may then select the particular spacer which elevates the plate 21 at a desired angle with respect to the top of the bowl 51. The spacer member may be made in various shapes and need not necessarily be wedge shaped, but it must provide rigid support for .the plate 21 in an elevated position without slipping or sliding out of position.

What is claimed and desired to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A toilet structure for supporting the back of a person upright with a backward inclination while raising the persons thighs to produce a substantially vertical positioning of the persons large bowel, comprising a toilet bowl having a horizontal, open top rim, a cover pivotally attached to said bowl and supportable thereon in an upright position with a backward inclination with respect to the bowl, an open seat pivotally attached to the bowl, and a seat elevating structure disposed between the seat and bowl and quickly removable therefrom, said seat elevating structure comprising a generally U-shaped first wedge having a curved bight and curved arms defining a curved opening therebetween, said wedge having a maximum thickness at said bight and tapering out to minimum thickness at the free ends of the arms, said wedge having a lower side adapted to rest on the open top rim of the bowl, said wedge having a depending member located at the inner edge of said lower side at said curved opening and projecting vertically downwardly therefrom to enter inside the top rim of the bowl to anchor the wedge thereat while permitting free removal of the Wedge from the bowl and seat, a pair of telescopic rods pivotally attached to opposite sides of the wedge on said arms, a foot rest adjustably supported on forward ends of said rods so that the foot rest is adjustable in height and forward spacing with respect to the bight of the wedge, a second U-shaped wedge having a curved bight and curved arms, the curved arms of the second wedge being joined pivotally to free ends of the arms of the first wedge so that the second wedge overlies the first wedge and is angularly separable therefrom, and means for retaining the wedges in a selected angular separation, the thickness of the bights of the first and second wedges fixing the minimum angular range of elevation of said seat with respect to said rim at an angle ranging approximately from ten to thirty degrees.

2. A toilet structure for supporting the back of a person upright with a backward inclination while raising the persons thighs to produce a substantially vertical positioning of the persons large bowel, comprising a toilet bowl having a horizontal, open top rim, a cover pivotally attached to said bowl and supportable thereon in an upright position with a backward inclination with respect to the bowl, an open seat pivotally attached to the bowl, and a seat elevating structure disposed between the seat and bowl and quickly removable therefrom, said seat elevating structure comprising a generally U-shaped first wedge having a curved bight and curved arms defining a curved opening therebetween, said wedge having a maximum thickness at said bight and tapering out to minimum thickness at the free ends of the arms, said wedge having a lower side adapted to rest on the open top rim of the bowl, said wedge having a depending ridge located at the inner edge of said ;lower side at said curved opening and projecting vertically downwardly therefrom to enter inside the top rim of the bowl to anchor the wedge thereat while permitting free removal of the wedge from the bowl and seat, a pair of telescopic rods pivotally attached to opposite sides of the wedge on said arms, a foot rest adjustably supported on forward ends of said rods so that the foot rest is adjustable in height with respect to the'wedge, and is adjustable in spacing forwardly from the bight of the wedge, a second generally U-shaped wedge having thicker and thinner opposite end portions, the thinner end portion being joined pivotally to free ends of the arms of the first wedge so that the thicker portion of the second wedge overlies the curved bight of the first wedge, and means for retaining the separated wedges angularly separated, the thickness of the bights of the first and second wedges fixing the minimum angular range of elevation of said seat with respect to said rim at an angle ranging approximately from ten to thirty'degrees.

3. A water closet structure according to claim 2 where-.

in said means is a mechanism operatively connecting the first and second wedges.

4. A water closet structure according to claim 2, wherein said means is a manually operable mechanism operatively connecting the first and second wedges, said --s rnechanism beingprovided-with a crank for, opening and closing the Wedges. a

5. A water "closet-structure according to claim References Cited the file ofthis patent Un -T1 11 STATES PATENTS 775,029 Dezendorf Nov. 15, 1904 850,458 Bagley Apr. 16,; 1907 1,085,468 JNixon Jan. 27, 1914 1,336,294 Hackman Apr.. 6,-1920 1,650,261

Carlson Nov.. 22, 1927 has 

